


Dreaming of a New Frontier

by ReValRecon



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Adopted Toby Smith | Tubbo, Alcohol, Alternate Universe, Angst, Cigarettes, Dream Smp, Dysfunctional Family, Explicit Language, Fist Fights, Gang Violence, Gen, Gun Violence, Hurt/Comfort, No shipping, POV Alternating, Self-Doubt, Shooting Guns, Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, Wild West AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-19
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28163343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReValRecon/pseuds/ReValRecon
Summary: St. Anthony was the saint of lost things, or lost people.In Texas there is an old town named after the patron St. Anthony and deeply plagued with misfortune. Despite this the people try their damn hardest to live.Outlaws wander the land, searching for their next victim. While some may despise what they do, it is a necessity to live. Others love it, a source of amusement.Sometimes trying to live means doing things you may have once looked down on.Dream SMP Wild West AU
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity & Jschlatt, Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Clay | Dream & Wilbur Soot, No Romantic Relationship(s), Zak Ahmed & Darryl Noveschosch
Kudos: 22





	1. The Usual Outlaw Ending

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)

Fundy scrambles to his feet, running across the porch and into the store. He shuts the door quickly, muffling the voices outside. Spurred by the aggressive voices coming outside, Fundy rushes to his father’s study. He's not allowed here, but fear overcomes his father's rules and he silently enters the room. He inches closer towards the desk and reaches out for Eret’s sleeve.

“Sir, I’m sorry for coming in but there are men outside and they don’t sound real friendly.” Fundy was gripping Eret's sleeve and looked on the verge of crying. His fear was manifesting into tears and now Eret was concerned. 

“It’s fine, don’t apologize,” Eret gently wiped the ink from his quill, he shook off all thoughts of work as he turned to help Fundy. Eret reached out for the boy, first easing Fundy's vice-like grip and taking his small hands into his.

“I’ll go take a look, okay?” Eret gestured for Fundy to give him room to stand, returning his logbook to its place on the shelf. Maneuvering Fundy by his shoulder, the two of them left Eret’s study.

“Alright, you go ahead and head to yo-,“ An intense bang was heard from outside, followed immediately by loud voices. Eret knelt down quickly, securing Fundy by his shoulder.

“Go to your room, lock it and don’t open it for anyone but me," Fundy stared, he was paralyzed by fear but Eret snapped him out with a small shake. "Now,” Eret gave the boy a gentle push and watched until he had scurried out of sight. When Eret was sure Fundy was safe, he rushed to his register, where his rifle was securely kept.

With his rifle gripped tightly to him, Eret slowly approached the store entrance, also the only exit in the building. He quickly turned the knob and unlatched the door, it left a small gap and light seeped into the room. Eret was nervous of making a loud exit. Theses nerves left him slowly opening the door, taking in the outside bit by bit. 

An empty road awaited him, only the wooden buildings being visible and no people. No people being around was rare during the day, It egged Eret on his search. Stepping outside, Eret was instantly calmed down. He was still curious but now held no fear for him or Fundy.

Just barely out of visibility from his shop was a crowd of citizens, people who would usually be about their business but seemed stuck in place outside the Jailhouse. Eret jogged towards them getting stuck at the back of a unmoving crowd and having to maneuver around and through them.

“Oh,” Eret spoke subconsciously, his eyes processing the scene before his brain. Once his brain caught up, Eret broke off from the crowd and drew closer.

“Excuse me, Sheriff? What the hell happened here?” He wanted to know the why's and how's, what led to such an ugly sight. Dream acknowledged Eret but continued to shout orders for the deputies. Once confident they would manage the cleanup without him, Dream gestured for Eret to walk with him.

The pair walked for a few seconds down the road, Eret waited patiently for Dream to speak. He knew Dream wasn’t one for talking quickly, Dream preferred to think first and carefully craft his sentences. His methodical thinking was ironic considering his deputies don't appear to think half the time.

“If I could have changed the outcome, I would’ve,” Dream started slowly,“ I didn't want to kill him, but he was inching for his gun and there were citizens all around us,” Dream paused for a moment, he seemed to drift off for a bit. When he resumed his explanation, Dream seemed more resolved, more sure of his decision.” He would’ve killed someone, whether that be a deputy or civilian. That wasn’t going to work for me, you understand?

Eret kept his head down, watching his feet for the remainder of their walk. When Dream stopped walking, Eret found himself outside the Jailhouse. Eret followed Dream up the steps and waited for him to unlock the building. Once inside the building, Dream made for his desk. He sat and pulled out a bottle and twin glasses.

“Drink?” Dream offered, Eret shook his head.

“No thank you, haven’t since I got the boy.” Dream nodded and poured himself a glass. He downed the first one, poured another, and leaned back in his chair. Eret walked to a window and watched the deputies still at the scene. The crowd that had formed slowly began to disperse, life continuing to move.

“He usually had a partner, didn’t he?” Eret questioned out loud, reflecting on his own memories of the duo. Dream who stopped nursing his drink, hummed in agreement.

“The damn coward ran off when bullets started flying. I reckon he finally realized his actions have consequences.” Dream scoffed and crossed the room to stand with Eret. “That idiot, dead on the road, he probably though he was protecting his partner. Damn Fool.”

“Here,” Dream handed Eret a list of supplies, “Bring that by when you can, one of the deputies will drop off the cash tomorrow morning.” Eret skimmed the list before putting it in his pocket.

“I should be going, the boy is probably worried,” Eret offered Dream his hand, “I’ll be seeing you.” Dream quickly returned the gesture and waved him off.

As Eret moved past the scene of the shooting, he couldn’t help but linger on the now covered body. It’s always been difficult to see a body. Harder when he knew the person, had spoken with them. 


	2. A Trio of Outlaws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first few chapters will mostly be introductions to characters and dynamics.

**_A few months prior_ **

“The guitar is quite possibly one of man's greatest creations,” Wilbur spoke softly to the sleeping boy next to him, the boy was obviously a young lad despite having an unknown age. He looked younger asleep, reviving old memories for Wilbur.

“Maybe you’ll be interested in learning once you outgrow your youth,” Wilbur continued to play gently. A soft endless melody, the same which had put the boy to sleep.

Wilbur shifted against the tree he had sat against, his favorite spot which was currently digging into his back. He spent most mornings here, playing the guitar before the day began. As usual, his thoughts would revolve around home, his father, and oldest brother. He hopes they are well; it’s been a while since he last saw them. Wilbur didn’t have long to ponder, a familiar footfall snapping him to the present.

“Wilbur! What’s the plan for today?” Tommy approached ever loudly, blind to the gentle atmosphere surrounding Wilbur.

“Quiet, Tubbo is napping,” Wilbur quietly informed Tommy. Tommy leaned at an uncomfortable angle to peer around Wilbur where he spotted the other boy. He snorted.

“Well, that’s unfortunate for him. Time for a rude awakening,” Tommy grinned at Wilbur and stepped over Wilbur's legs. Wilbur opted to stand and dust himself off rather than interfere. Tommy stooped down next to Tubbo's face where he took a deep breath and yelled loudly.

“Ahh!” Tubbo snapped up, limbs flailing at his abrupt wake-up. He heard laughter and looked to his left where Tommy was walking away.

“Idiot!” Tubbo said, taking the hand Wilbur had offered and pulled himself up. He ruffled his hair in an attempt to correct it then brushing the dirt from his clothes. The trio walked from the hill down towards their camp. A settlement of five tents with a centered campfire, surrounded by a scattering of pans and other items.

Wilbur retreated to his tent, returning moments later without his guitar. In his guitar's place was a rifle across his back. Tommy himself kept a small pistol strapped to his waist, preferring speed over range. Tubbo on the other hand refused to carry a gun, wanting to avoid gunfights at all chance.

“Well men it’s a new day and it appears it will only be the three of us for some time. Any ideas?” Wilbur opened the discussion to his campmates. Tubbo was visibly excited, managing to speak before Tommy.

“Town! Let’s go into Town, please!?” Tubbo asked eagerly, as it’s been a while since being in town. Wilbur debated this question heavily with himself, rubbing the back of his neck.

“We can check, okay? I can’t promise anything until we know who’s in town,” Wilbur compromised, he loathed rejecting or upsetting Tubbo. Tubbo nodded, he would’ve agreed to any settlement.

“Okay then! Mount up, and make sure you grab your field glasses,” This second part was directed at Tommy, always needing some job or instruction to prevent himself from getting in trouble.

As the three traveled into town, they entertained themselves with small talk. Spirits were high this morning, it’s felt like years since being able to wander around Town. Even Tommy was enthusiastic about going in despite the awful welcoming he is sure to receive.

“Alright, pass me the field glasses,” Wilbur requested and waited as Tommy searched his satchel for them.

“Here,” Tommy passed them over and resorted to squinting at the town, trying to see anything useful before his brother. Wilbur started to scan the town thoroughly, searching for a particular horse. He searched the obvious places first such as the jailhouse and saloon.

“Hmph,” Wilbur grunted, not seeing anything just yet but also refused to get his hopes up. Wilbur scanned over the buildings, lingering on the General Goods store. Tubbo seemed to sense what Wilbur was stuck on, guilt turning his face red.

“I’m sorry Wilbur I shouldn’t have brought up the town,” Tubbo apologized sincerely, shrinking into himself when Wilbur glanced at him.

“It’s fine,” Wilbur resumed looking and found the white horse outside the doctor’s office. Wilbur slowly lowered the field glasses and handed them over for Tommy to put away.

“Sheriff is there alright; his horse is outside the doctor’s office,” Tubbo deflated at the statement, promptly taking the lead and turning his horse around. The others followed almost immediately, their high spirits vanishing.

“What time is it?” Tommy who was never one to wallow in misery started up another idea.

“30 till noon,” Tommy turned sharply to face Wilbur, a grin creeping onto his face.

“We can make it if we ride fast,” Tubbo was now smiling along with Tommy, Wilbur being the odd one out. Wilbur looked up and sighed.

“Okay,” The younger boys cheered and thanked Wilbur.

“I don’t understand why y’all enjoy train surfing so very much,” Wilbur told the pair, who were oblivious to Wilbur's discontent. Tommy rode ahead of the others and started a brisk pace for the others to match. Their day was looking up once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


	3. Incoming Trouble

Skeppy reached over towards the satchel resting on Bad’s horse, pulling a map from it.

“What are you doing?” Bad asked, already feeling a headache starting to form.“I want to see how far we are,” Skeppy replied, twisting and turning the map in his grip. Bad looked over at Skeppy squinting at the map trying to measure with his thumb the distance to the nearby town. God, he could swear his partner lived to irritate him.

“You don’t even know how to use a map Skeppy,” Bad tried to reach for the map but Skeppy pulled it in sharply towards his chest. He looked up at Bad and huffed, feeling slightly insulted at the matter-of-fact tone Bad used.

“Well then how far are we from St. Anthony?” Skeppy retorted, a cocky tone and mischievous smile forming, he could back back at him one way. Bad reached for the map again but Skeppy pulled it further away.

“Give me the map and I’ll tell you,” Bad snapped, his headache really starting to settle in.

“No, figure it out,” Skeppy continued to withhold the map, trotting his horse ahead of Bad. Bad sighed and started to look around, trying to see something that would’ve been on the map. Of course, there’s nothing around them but fields of grass. He rubbed his head, trying to alleviate some of the throbbing in his head.

“Skeppy, the map,” Bad demanded from his partner, holding out his hand as well. Skeppy was determined to ignore him, looking at the map again. Bad felt frustration watching Skeppy struggle to comprehend the map.

“Please?” Bad went with a nicer approach, usually that went well. He didn't feel like drawing this out like usually, skipping straight to what Skeppy wanted from him. Skeppy looked back at Bad and then at the map.

“Okay, but just because I don’t feel like it,” Skeppy slowed down his horse to match pace with Bad, handing the map over. Bad turned the map around, Skeppy was looking at it upside down.

“Well?” Skeppy pressed quickly, giving Bad maybe a few seconds to read the map oblivious that he had been reading it the wrong way. Bad ignored Skeppy, as he started to figure out where they were.

“I think we should be there once we reach the top of this hill. Been riding for a while since we passed that farm,” Bad finally stated, Fully confident in his answer. He returned the map to his satchel and shifted in his saddle.

“Did you want to get a camp settled or head straight into town,” Skeppy asked Bad, leaving him to decide their plan for this town. After a few moments of thinking Bad decided their first action.

“Town, we should start this sooner rather than later,” Bad informed Skeppy. A comfortable silence fell over them until they reached the top of the hill. They halted their horses at the top and looked down at the town. More importantly the Saloon, General Goods store, Doctors Office, Gun store, and the Bank. They were all viable options but some served their purposes better than others.

“Alright, the Bank?” Bad looked over at Skeppy, who was nodding. He preferred Banks over other stores, the people near them usually had more money. Bad left Skeppy at the hill, riding into the town and hitching his horse a few buildings away from the Bank.

He posted outside the Saloon, which happened to be directly across the Bank. He pretended to fiddle with his revolver as if he was cleaning it, keeping it unloaded for safety reasons. Bad waited for a while, watching people pass around. Movement in the alley next to the Bank got his attention, Skeppy was in position.

Bad acknowledged Skeppy with a subtle wave, which was returned quickly. Holstering his revolver he watched the sidewalk that rested in front of the alley, patience was vital to this part. Finally, the perfect mark appeared, an old woman. Bad waited a moment before signaled with his left hand, indicating the mark was on Skeppy’s right side.

Skeppy jumped in front of the women, pistol out but resting low on his hip. It was less noticeable than the usual stick up, and as long as the mark stayed relatively quiet it was fairly successful. 

“Quiet! Give me your money. Now,” Skeppy demanded quickly voice low but threatening, giving his gun a jerk to threaten the woman. The old lady was visible shaking as she reached into her purse and handed the cash over. Skeppy nicked it roughly, returning his gun to its holster and pushing roughly past woman. He didn't need a quite mark, failure was part of their game.

The woman shrieked as she stumbled into the wall to her left. Bad jumping into action rushing to the woman’s aid.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get him,” Bad assured the lady, rushing past her and after Skeppy. He ran after Skeppy, rounding the bend and almost tripping. He turned the corner and saw Skeppy mounting a horse.

“Good luck,” Skeppy mouthed at him before riding his horse rapidly out of the town.

Bad watched Skeppy ride out of town but didn’t have long to observe. Apparently he wasn’t the only one to see the incident.

“Damn, just what this town needed,” A man appeared besides Bad also watching Skeppy who was far in the distance. The man looked almost defeated, his town was constantly dealing with outlaws. Dream didn't know how he would deal with all of them.

“I saw what you did back there, you seem like a honest man. I’m Dream, also the Sheriff,” Dream offered Bad his hand, who shook it. Dream gestured for Bad to follow him. Leading them back through the town.

“I’m Darryl, my friends call me Bad though,” Dream looked over at Bad, he was obviously confused at the nickname.

“I used to be a Pastor, they thought it was a funny name,” Dream hummed at Bad’s explanation. Quite the career switch. 

“Couldn’t help but notice you said you used to be a Pastor?” Dream pressed for more information while he entered the jailhouse, his new friend following behind him. Bad was more than happy to enlighten his new friend.

“I believe I can help the world more as a lawman rather than a godly man,” Bad explained with a short sentence. Dream drifted towards his desk, reaching into his top drawer. He pulled out a star badge, the word “Deputy” sprawled across the middle.

“How long you here for? I could use some extra help here,” Dream held the badge towards Bad, who enthusiastically plucked it from Dream’s hand. He placed it proudly on his chest, shifting his vest to display it better.

“Long enough to help, I can assure you of that,” Bad informed him, shaking hands with Dream once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


	4. Trails and Stories

“Sapnap! Why the hell aren’t you up yet!?” Dream expressed his irritation loudly. They should’ve left hours ago but Dream was only able to find Sapnap now. He should’ve known better and checked the Saloon first. Even with the loud yelling, Sapnap slept on, grumbling in his sleep.

“Ponk, you got any water, preferably cold?” Dream waved Ponk down while he spoke, gesturing to the sleeping figure on the floor. Ponk nodded an affirmative, disappearing into a backroom that probably led into the cellar. Dream started gently kicking Sapnap’s leg, riling him awake a little.

“Here,” Ponk placed the glass on the counter and continued assisting his other patrons. Dream grabbed the glass and walked around to where Sapnap’s face was best visible. He pitched the glass sharply; his aim was flawless the water landing directly onto his face.

The reaction was immediate.

Sapnap coughed and sputtered water from his nose and mouth, quickly rolling over to cough on the ground. He spouted vicious obscenities while he attempted to clear his airway.

“Aghh, Who the fuck?” Sapnap flipped on to his back, landing on top of the water he had just coughed up. Faced with Dream, the anger left quickly leaving him cold and wet. Sapnap opened his mouth to speak, sputtering out syllabus but no complete words.

“Get up and get your crap together, we need to leave before their trail goes cold,” Dream cut Sapnap off, Stepping over him. Sapnap relaxed into the wet floor, he was relieved that Dream didn’t reprimand him.

“Now,” Dream tossed over his shoulder, satisfied at the sound of Sapnap scrambling to get up. Dream headed out of the saloon and down the path to the left of him. He continued this way until he reached the General Goods store.

“Hello?” Dream called out as he entered the shop. There was lack of personnel in the store, his voice being the sole source of noise.

“One moment!” Eret called from somewhere deep in the store, voice high-pitched. This was followed promptly by the yelp of a young boy. Dream shook his head and began browsing the store for necessities. As he traveled the isles he would occasionally stop to grab items, moving them to the counter and then continue browsing.

“Here I am! Apologies for the delay,” Eret emerged from the hallway followed by an annoyed looking Fundy. Dream stopped shopping and approached the counter, cash at the ready. Eret was quick to bundle Dream’s items and added a pack of cigarettes as an apology.

“Trouble with the boy?” Eret nodded slowly, exhausted, making Dream chuckle before grabbing his supplies and ruffling Fundy’s hair on the way out. Dream made his way to the Jailhouse, stopping briefly outside to coddle his horse.

“Dream! Sir, I’m packed and ready to go,” Sapnap was out of his chair when he saw Dream enter the room. The other deputies acknowledge Dream briefly they continued their assigned functions.

“Get your bags loaded on your horse, I’ll be out shortly,” As Dream placed the last-minute purchases in his traveling pack, Sapnap gathered his bags and hurried outside to ready up. Dream now fully packed, stopped to stare around the jailhouse. He really didn’t want to forget anything.

“George you have seniority so you’re in charge. We’ll only be gone a while, try not to let the town burn down,” Dream informed George who looked half dead, probably from a night of drinking. He received a minuscule nod to acknowledged that George had heard him and shared a brief with Bad before heading out.

Dream loaded up his horse and unhitched him, Sapnap following his lead. Once the pair were mounted up they started towards the west. West was the direction provided by an anonymous tip, the one that started this week-long search. They rode for a few hours in silence with occasional short conversations. Sapnap would glance over ever now and then, getting more frequent by the hour. He would flap his mouth like a damn fish, it was starting to get infuriating at the rate it was occurring.

“Jesus, would you stop that! Spit it out or knock it off,” Dream shouted, the irritation with the other clear as day.

“I just wanted to ask, uhm, why are you so adamant about capturing Wilbur and Tommy?” Sapnap inquired, slowly growing more anxious at the following silence. Dream pondered his thoughts, rubbing his chin and neck roughly. He wanted to truthfully explain his grudges, his reasons behind his almost obsessive crusade.

“I’m not sure if you remember the Dynamite Lads?” Sapnap barked out a laugh, remembering the ridiculous name the pair had chosen for themselves. He offered Dream his best description from memory.

“They were those school aged boys right? Had a passionate fondness for explosive,” Sapnap sat up at thinking fondly of the past before his thoughts soured.” Been ten years since that, ain’t it? Christ, I nearly forgot about that, dozens died because of them, right?” Dream nodded along with each question, quietly answering him. Sapnap inhaled deeply reflecting on that terrible time for the town, growing more solemn with each memory.

“The old arrogant man of a sheriff wouldn’t even acknowledge us when we told him we knew who it was. We we’re the same age as them, and you remember that day I got the shit beat out of me?” Sapnap laughed loudly again, reminiscing of the day and how shitty Dream had looked.

“Yeah, yeah, anyways it was them, those explosive loving boys. They we’re morons and kept bragging about it, their kills and loot. Of course, I was also a moron, but I couldn’t stand for it,” Dream snickered at himself, shaking his head “Said I would give them justice. They almost had me pushing daisies that day,” Although entertaining, Sapnap started to feel confused. He couldn’t see how this connected with his grudge; Dream elaborated.

“Main point, I saw Wilbur when I pulled Fundy from that house fire a few months back. Fire and explosive took that house down. Now I doubt he meant to hurt the boy but Wilbur’s a lunatic, he loves chaos too much to be a father.” Dream’s face shifted one of pity, recognizing that Fundy would never understand his father but probably still love him.

Dream stopped his horse, the pair of them had found the campsite they were tipped off about. He unmounted and began to explore the site for any tracks and such. Sapnap was given control of the horse reigns and impulsively started to watch their surroundings.

“Well, As I was saying Wilbur had that look when he saw the fire, deranged and so deeply infatuated with it” Dream knelt into the dirt, getting a better look at the horse tracks in the earth. Dream finished with his examination, stood up to face Sapnap.

“The same look as one of the boys who attacked me, they’re the same person, I recognize him now. He’s a vicious killer but those boys who now follow him don’t know that yet.” Dream asserted, shaking his head in anger. He gestured to the track and towards the south, implying that’s where the outlaws had fled.

“We’ll camp here since there’s already a campfire with wood here,” Dream decided, returning to his horse to retrieve his bedroll and tent. Sapnap dismounted and hitched their horses with a wooden rod.

Once their campsite was established and horses cared for, hours had already passed. The two rested around the warm fire seeking respite from the cold nights. They shared a pot of coffee and some dried jerky, the first awful meal for the next week or so.

“I never fully answered your question didn’t I?” Sapnap looked confused,” About Tommy, there’s hope for him, but he is a lot like Wilbur. Hasn’t killed yet but it’s just a matter of time until Wilbur gets him to,” Dream stated with a thoughtful but defeated tone as he explained his expectations. Sapnap just waited patiently, letting Dream carry their conversation.

There wasn’t very much to carry though, as Dream stopped talking after this. Choosing rather to entertain himself by watching the vivid night sky above them. Their conversation descending into a comfortable but solemn silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


	5. The "Lawmen"

“Q! I got great news partner!” Schlatt announced his presence with a commanding voice and a booming laugh. Alex stood quickly, turning away from the fire and towards Schlatt. The pair had their own small settlement far south of St. Antony. Settlement being a loose term, they had poorly set up tents and litter scattered around.

“Que?” Alex asked hesitantly, he always had a different opinion than his partner on what good news meant. Schlatt strolled up to Alex, slapping a heavy hand onto Alex’s shoulder.

“Ain’t no sheriff or that bull headed deputy of his in town!” Schlatt had a sinister grin creeping onto his face, he clapped Alex’s shoulder again with more force, “Get ready,” he told him, an order despite the cheerful tone.

Schlatt pushed past Alex heading towards his tent, kicking trash around here and there. Alex closed his eyes, saying a brief prayer quietly to himself.

“Amen,” Alex entered his tent, a small area with room only for a bedroll and a standard trunk. He knelt down to unlock his trunk, flipping the lid up with a small struggle. The trunk was able to remain open like this as it was weighted down heavily in the bottom half. Alex grabbed his shotgun and revolver. He adjusted his shotgun to sit across his back and holstered his handgun.

He unzipped a small pouch on the lid, pulling out his bandanna. Pulling the lid forward, he let gravity do the work and stood up. Heading back outside, Alex tied his bandanna loosely around his neck and waited outside for Schlatt.

“Really? You had to wear that one?” Schlatt gestured to his own bandanna one that was solid black. Alex snickered and shrugged.

“Viva la México,” he muttered, turning away from Schlatt to unhitch his horse. He mounted up and waited for Schlatt to take the lead. The pair traveled in one-sided chatter, Schlatt openly talking about his thoughts, mentioning anything that would capture his attention as they traveled.

“Bandannas,” Simultaneously they pulled theirs up, hiding their identity. It was rather useless as Alex planned to leave the country when he had enough cash and Schlatt would without a doubt never settle in any town, an aggressive compulsion to hurt and steal. They rode silently into town, catching the eyes of one or two oblivious residents. Dark clouds seemed to gather at their presence, the sun slipping away from the horizon.

They hitched their horses behind the jailhouse, using the side door to gain entrance. Schlatt led the pair slowly down the corridor, glancing into every room for a deputy. Creeping past the small barracks and cells they finally entered the main room. Alex tapped Schlatt and gestured towards a figure sitting in the corner, desk illuminated by candlelight.

“George?” Schlatt barked his question, raising his gun when the figure sharply stood up probably from surprise.

“Oh, it’s you,” George confirmed his identity by speaking. The outlaws relaxed, lowering their weapons, and approaching the deputy. Schlatt was already reaching into his satchel to pull out a small wad of cash.

“Here,” Schlatt handed the money to George, “Where’s the kid?” Schlatt was referring to the junior deputy Ant, a young man who hasn’t left his teenage years yet.

“Neighboring town needed eyes, apparently a pastor was skimming money from his church. Religion and justice, you know how enraged people get,” George informed him, kneeling to secure his cash in a small vault under his desk. When he stood up the cash had been replaced with rope.

“Here, I’ll say you surprised me by coming from the back,” George handed the rope off, letting Alex tie him into his chair, “Ant will probably be ba-“ A particular hard tug caused George to flinch, pulling away from the pain, “Easy! He’ll probably be back a little after sunrise so be sure to leave before then.”

Schlatt simply nodded and turned to face his partner with a grin, pulling pistol rounds from a small pouch on his belt.

“You ready partner?” Alex felt his stomach sink, his usually response to Schlatt’s question bubbling up.

“As ever,” Alex followed Schlatt through the halls leading to the back entrance, following even when George called after them.

“Please try not to kill anyone!” Despite being an awful lawman, George didn’t want to see his towns people get killed. Schlatt simply laughed, a deep hearty laugh. Alex felt his feet stutter but still he pushed on, strangling the voice telling him to flee. He could bear it; he’s already gotten this far.

“First stop, Guns!” Schlatt tugged hard on Alex’s arm pulling them side to side, irritated with his partner’s slow pace. Alex double checked his bandanna, making sure it was firmly on his face. His only source of comfort now a days was the flag of his country. Schlatt walked carelessly, wooden sidewalks creaking under his heavy footsteps, alerting the town.

Reaching the gun store, fumbling could be heard from the inside. Schlatt still pushed his way in, Alex following warily with his gun in hand but low.

“Punz! No need for that, you know I wouldn’t rob you,” Schlatt raised his hands, but continued walking towards the counter. Behind said counter was Punz, armed with a sawed-off shotgun pointed towards Schlatt. At this close of a range, it would’ve pulverized Schlatt.

“You can’t rob me, you mean? You know I’m willing to kill you and let your pet do me in. That’s the only reason you don’t steal from me.” Punz’s face split into a dangerous grin, his eyes hard and cold.

“I go down with this store, it’s my everything. So, get what you want, bring it up, and pay.” Punz watched Schlatt walk around the store. Keeping Quackity on the edge of his vision. Although Alex was from a different country he still felt the need for a bandit name. He felt if he could separate himself into Alex and Quackity, he might be able to save his humanity.

Schlatt's eye was caught on a box, simple in design but what lay inside was something he had never seen before.

“This is new,” He picked up the box, turning it around to read,” Brought to you by Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Hamilton Walker and Samuel Colt is the most powerful close-range handgun yet, The Walker Colt Revolver!” The want was deeply evident on Schlatt’s face, turning to face Punz.

“Just in, It’s extremely limited edition. My most expensive merchandise here. I’ve shot it; it’ll send anyone to their maker.” Punz saw the sale of a lifetime, fueling the growing desire for Schlatt to own this pistol.

He grabbed a few boxes of ammunition, balancing them on the boxed revolver. With everything he wanted at the counter, he waited for Punz to ring him up. Punz counted the ammunition boxes, doing some math on a nearby pad.

“With the addition of the Revolver, you owe 72$” Punz looked up from his notepad, watching Schlatt’s face contort with displeasure.

“For a Revolver?! Fuck,” Schlatt still reached into his satchel, pulling out his cash. Counting it off and handing it over.

“A little over a 1,000 of theses were made, you’re lucky you got one. The Government did not want civilians to have access to these.” Despite the assurance from Punz, Schlatt still felt like he was being scammed but there was little he could do. And he definitely was.

Transaction done, Schlatt walked out without exchanging anymore words. He gestured for Alex to walk with him. Alex watched as Schlatt fiddled with his newest purchase, testing the weight and looking down the scope. He loaded it up and placed it in an empty holster on the left side of his belt. He needed his right holster for quick drawing and a heavy revolver wouldn’t cut it.

Alex stopped himself from walking into Schlatt, who had stopped abruptly outside the General Goods store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


	6. General Goods

“Been awhile since we’re robbed this place, no doubt he’s got heaps of cash,” Schlatt walked into the store, bell ringing throughout the quiet store. The pair browsed around the store, guns in hand. Schlatt had decided on using his new one, it was larger and thus more intimidating.

“Just a moment!” The owner called from the back; some light movement could be heard from the narrow hallway.

Schlatt walked behind the register, crouching down in his search for weapons. He knew weapons were here but the positions changed every once and a while. He spotted a pistol secured to the bottom of the counter and a rifle resting further back in the cubby. Satisfied with his discoveries he walked back towards the merchandise section and waited for the owner.

He didn’t have to wait long.

“Howdy! What can I do for y-,” Eret was startled by the criminals. He would usually see them arrive and have enough time to lock up. Unfortunately, Fundy was quite the distraction today. Eret slowly walked towards his register, once he was behind it his hands started to move under the counter.

“Nuh uh,” Schlatt flicked his gun upward, “Hands up, I see you with a gun and that's it for me, you hear me?,” Eret nodded and complied, hands resting on top of the counter.

“Now why don’t you pop open that register and hand over the cash,” Eret pulled his key necklace off his neck and opened the register, pulling out a small amount of money to set on the counter. Schlatt walked over and glanced into the register, it was empty. Even if hell itself flooded over, people would always be buying. It was impossible for there to be such little cash.

“Ain’t no damn way you got this small amount of cash running the only general store for miles around.” Schlatt grinned at Eret. He would not be lied to again, “Where’s the money, all of it?” Schlatt pressed the gun against Eret’s chest.

“That’s it! I brought new merchandise with the money!” Eret sputtered out a response, heart beating heavy against the gun. The cold metal was digging through his shirt; it made it hard to think.

“Stop lying!” Schlatt pushed the gun harder into Eret. While Schlatt was many things, he wasn't a liar and God did he hate liars. 

“Dad?” A small voice pulled the attention of the room, the boy shrunk into himself at the sudden attention. The boy was cursed with a deep curiosity that would more often result in not the best situations.

“Fundy,” Eret sounded scared, but also like a father trying to reassure his son, “Go to your room.” Eret pleaded. He plastered what was hopefully a smile while he shooed him away.

Schlatt grinned at Eret before turning to the boy, “Woah, woah, woah. Wait a minute, come here boy,” He spoke with a fake friendliness. “Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna hurt you,” He said making a “come here” motion with his unarmed hand. Schlatt kneeled down, he wanted to lure Fundy as close as possible. Making him feel safe was the best way to do that.

“Fund-“Eret was cut off by Schlatt shushing him but Schlatt never looked away from Fundy and his smile never faltered. Fundy felt uneasy but he wanted to help his dad, so he walked towards Schlatt.

Schlatt was like a snake. He waited patiently until the lad was close enough before striking. Schlatt grabbed Fundy roughly, jerking him towards him ruthlessly. Fundy cried out at the painful grip as he stumbled quickly towards Schlatt, trying to keep his feet under him. Schlatt pulled the boy against him, pressing his revolver against Fundy's head. His other arm was wrapped around Fundy's torso, preventing him from flailing around or trying to him him.

“Schlatt!”

“Please!”

“Shut up!” Schlatt shouted at both of them, he pressed the revolver harder against Fundy's head. It caused Fundy to yell and struggle again, interrupting his quite crying. Alex listened; he wouldn't speak again. He could trust Schlatt, no one would hurt a kid, right?

“The Money,” Schlatt demanded, his voice was softer now. Eret pulled himself together with a deep shaking breathe. He had to drag his eyes away from his crying son. Eret's eyes swirled with emotions, fear, hate, angry, pleading, and dozens of others passing behind his eyes. His chin was shaking, and his face was twitching, like a rope being wrung tighter and tighter. Eret moved away from the register and led them to his study. The others followed, Schlatt kept Fundy close his grip never letting up. They watched as Eret pulled a metal box from under his desk, opening it on the floor. He pulled out all his cash and handed it to Schlatt.

He had the money now, so why wasn't he satisfied. Schlatt pocketed the money and kept his grip on Fundy.

“How about that? Wasn’t so hard, right?” Schlatt clicked his tongue, seeming to ponder his thoughts. This couldn't be all they had, right?

“But you know what? I’d bet you give the boy an allowance, huh?” Schlatt had a dangerous paranoia when it came to money. This pulled Alex from his watchful state. He should probably step in now.

“Schlatt don’t,” Alex tried to chime in, but was cut off,” Shut your damn mouth, wait outside. Keep watch.” Alex met Schlatt's eyes. Maybe not. Alex wasn't the confrontation type, especially against those who wouldn't hesitate to kill him. He left.

“How ‘bout it, he got his own stash of money?” Schlatt challenged, petting Fundy's hair in a false soothing pattern. Loud footsteps pulled Schlatt from his mania.

“Schlatt!” Alex was back, lightly flushed and rifle drawn. He spared a glance to the poor crying lad but opted to ignore him. Schlatt shifted his attention to his partner, he looked pissed.

“They’re here, not all of them but they still outnumber us.” Alex informed him, Schlatt seemed hesitant to leave, a powerful greed keeping him in place. Schlatt was indecisive, a rare occasion. It was an easy decision for Alex, spare the boy and make an escape. 

“We don’t have time for you to terrorize that boy anymore, it's time to leave,” He pushed Fundy away from Schlatt and towards Eret. Eret collapsed to his knees, hugging the boy tightly to his chest and scrambling to hide them under his desk. Alex pulled Schlatt away from the study and towards the entrance. Schlatt pulled away roughly and followed.

Scurrying outside, the duo was quick to spot a trio approaching fast. It didn’t take long for the others to spot them. A gunshot hit close to their feet, shattering the old board into hundreds of pieces. They snapped into action, returning fire, and seeking cover.

Unfortunately, they didn’t pick the best cover, sheltering in a small alley on the side of the general store. The cramped space meant only one person could shoot at a time without exposing themselves too much.

Alex returned fire as best he could, peaking out quickly but couldn’t see anything. Whenever he looked, wooden rails or pillars blocked his view.

“I can’t see shit! Schlatt we should leave!” Alex was back in cover, back tightly pressed against the wall with Schlatt behind him. He had to yell over the gunshots. Schlatt cursed loudly, roughly pushing past Alex towards the alley opening.

“Fucking move!” Schlatt moved away from cover he was fully exposed to the others, his new revolver was held firmly and pointed towards the direction of the gunshots. While the heavy pistol was powerful it useless from this distance. Schlatt jerked backwards, blood splattering onto the ground and surrounding surfaces.

“Fuck!” Schlatt scrambled into cover, his left arm was limp. Schlatt groaned and put his revolver away. He cradled his shot arm and shoved past Alex again, this time gripping his arm and pulling him towards the back of the alley.

They ran quick as they could around the buildings and towards the back of the jailhouse, thankfully it was only a few buildings down. Alex unhitched their horses while Schlatt struggled into his saddle. They rode hard, leaving the town as fast as they could. Luckily the other outlaws didn’t pursue them. After a few moments they slowed down, giving their horses a rest from their sudden sprint.

“God forgive me,” Alex said quietly to himself, He was desperate for repentance. Being around Schlatt made him an ugly person. Someone he despised but couldn't seem to keep locked up. 

“Shut your damn mouth,” Schlatt snapped, breathing harshly, "Every fucking time we leave this town you ask. If he hasn’t forgiven you yet he never will,” Schlatt kicking his horse to drive it forward leaving Alex to ask for forgiveness choking on dust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


	7. Cat and Mouse

“Skeppy!”

Bad had been wandering north of St. Anthony for a few hours, he had been searching for signs of Skeppy and had finally spotted something. It was protocol for their camps to always be set north of whatever town they were in. It was more difficult to spot a campfire during the day, but now that night had fallen he was able to spot one in the distance.

He spurred his horse forward, the prospect of resting encouraging him to move faster. As the fire drew closer he could make out a silhouette approaching him.

“Bad?” Skeppy called after hearing a distant voice. He assumed it was his partner but still kept his pistol handy. Skeppy was wary of strangers and outsiders, he had a preference to sticking close with his own people or to himself. This is probably the reason Bad takes a more social role in their crimes.

“Yeah! It’s me!” Bad slowed down, stopping next to Skeppy. He handed Skeppy his deputy badge before dismounting. He heard Skeppy laugh loudly, smiling as he walked his horse to a nearby post to hitch him.

“That quickly?” Skeppy tossed the badge back to Bad, It was quite possible the fastest Bad has been deputized during their time together. Bad smiled proudly at the badge, flipping it over repeatedly in his hand.

“Yeah, they seemed desperate for help,” Bad felt guilty at taking advantage of the situation. It wasn't the first time he's felt guilt, having grown accustomed to it's heavy presence. The guilt wouldn't stop him, his end goals were more important than being a good man. Ensuring him and those he cared for are well off is more important than helping others in his book.

“ Get this, so the sheriff is taking a deputy and their going outlaw hunting. I reckon that’s our best time to stir something up,” Bad and Skeppy moved to sit around the campfire, both formulating different plans for the future.

“Time frame?” Skeppy asked.

“He leaves in a week and he’ll be gone for a week. Coffee,” Skeppy poured some coffee into a metal cup and passed it to Bad. The pair pondered on their circumstances.

Skeppy huffed,” Let’s wait a week,” Thinking on the fly has always been more their style. Time and time again they've been reminded that planning is not their strongest suit.

“Get some sleep,” Bad opened his mouth to protest,” I’ll take care of the horses, I’ve been sitting on my ass all day.” Skeppy shushed Bad before he could lecture him on his language, chuckling when Bad grumbled at him but also agreed.

* * *

“Skeppy, I got something!” It's been almost two weeks since they knew about Dream leaving. The tension had been thoroughly uncomfortable between them, both trying, and failing, to find someway to capitalize off the sheriff’s absence.

Bad had rushed back to camp immediately after his accidental encounter.

“What is it!?” Skeppy rushed outside, boots in hand and looking half asleep. He stumbled around trying to get his boots before deciding to sit down and put them on. Bad dismounted quickly, not forgetting to hitch his horse.

“Prison transfer,” Bad grinned at Skeppy, whose face fell into a look of confusion, unable to find the connection between this and them making money” Right, sorry, the prisoner is Harvey.”

Skeppy forgetting one of his boots jumped to his feet, rushing to hug Bad. He pulled back and grabbed Bad by his shoulders. His face was suspended between disbelief and unimaginable joy.

“No fucking way, you’re pulling my leg,” Skeppy was desperate to believe him, but the absurdness of the situation was unbelievable.

Bad took no offence at the question, he had trouble believing it too. When he walked past the cells and felt a rough tug he had been ready to scold a lowlife criminal. Turing to face the prisoner Bad was already speaking before cutting himself off.

_“Harvey?” Bad shook his head slightly, blinking hard. But it wasn’t a dream or figment of the imagination._

_Harvey glanced into the main office where all the deputies would usually be. No one could be around for an actually discussion._

_“Hey Bad, long time no see,” Harvey flashed him a smile,” If you’re here, I’m gonna assume you and Skeppy are still pulling your schemes.”_

_Bad offered him a bashful smile in return, rubbing his neck and periodically glancing towards the door, “Yeah, we’ve had a lot of success as a duo. We might be able to quit after a few more jobs.”_

_“Good for you partner, you’ve come a long way,” Harvey reached through the bars to shake his hand. The only sort of congratulations he could give him from a cell, “Not to cut this short but I am in a cell and would like to make the most of this time alone.”_

_Harvey pulled off his jacket, reaching into a secret pocket stored on the back of the inside. He pulled out a folded paper and handed it to Bad. Bad unfolded the paper and sighed deeply._

_“Seriously?” His face fell, an expression of disbelief etched into it. The paper was inscribed with a large WANTED on the top. Underneath was a picture of the infamous TapL, a murder wanted dead or alive. His bounty read at $130, with details such as a rough location and key characteristics. His largest one being his green/brown bandana with a large sideways L across it._

_“Deadly. I’m being transferred in a few days; they’ll hang me Bad. They consider what I did murder, but you and I know better.” Harvey had been inching towards the bars while he spoke, desperation hanging off his words the way he was hanging to the bars separating them._

_“Everyone, including me knew we might die. It was a consensual type of killing,” Harvey spoke with distaste, the chances of him forgiving himself for killing them was slim, but the reward was to life changing to pass up._

_“Jesus Harvey, I wouldn’t even know where to start, and you said what, a few days?” Bad took off his hat, running his hand through his hair. His attention was pulled back to Harvey, who was fumbling with his jacket again._

_“You remember summer of '43?” Harvey passed bad another wanted poster, a familiar face front and center, “They’d move us together and you’ll be on the detail, so...” Harvey grinned at Bad, who sighed but couldn't fight the grin that snuck onto his face when Harvey started laughing._

_“We’ did it when Spifey got arrested, we can do it again,” Harvey perked up at the sound of footsteps in the distance," You know what to do,” Harvey quickly moved away from the bars, laying down and using his jacket as a blanket. The sound of the door opening drew Bad back to his workplace._

* * *

Bad shook his head,

"No jokes," he said while handing Skeppy his own wanted poster. Skeppy laughed loudly at seeing his own face, returning it back over. Bad placed it securely inside his jacket, he’d need it later.

“I already talked with Harvey about this, he said it’d be the same situation like '43. Only differences are the people and the route. It'll be a breeze,” Bad was shaking from excitement, bouncing around their camp to search for spare resources they might need. He paused for a moment, looking back at Skeppy who looked hesitant, “and state regulation says that the arresting deputy must stay with their prisoner until hand off, so I’ll be there.”

“The horses, we only have two,” Skeppy’s statement made Bad pause briefly, he wanted to reassure Skeppy as best as possible.

“Uh..." Bad spoke slowly, offering solutions as they appeared in his head," Day of the transfer I’ll move your horse on to the route. I’ll need to get a better layout, I can do that today,” Bad straightened up, a loose plan forming, “Um, I’ll tell you where they are before we get out there. You and Harvey will have to ride together after the breakout.”

Bad had been searching through a chest that rested near his tent. In his hand was some rope, “I’ll take you in on the back of my horse today,” Bad tossed the rope to Skeppy.

“Fuck it then," Skeppy couldn't see any holes, he would trust Bad," Okay. Prison break it is!” Skeppy went to where his horse was hitched, searching his satchel for some lockpicks. Once acquired he placed a few in his boots, up his sleeves in hidden pockets and similar to Harvey in a secret pocket inside the back of his jacket. As long as Harvey had his hidden picks, they’ll be completely secure if some lockpicks break or are taken when he gets searched.

“I’m ready when you are,” Skeppy tied his own legs together and handed the rest of the rope off to Bad. Bad secured Skeppy’s hands and stripped him of his weapons. He secured them on Skeppy’s horse so he could access them during their breakout.

Bad pulled out his revolver, turning it around so he could use the butt as a weapon.

“No weak hits, hard and quick. You better knock me out first try or I’ma kick your ass later,” Skeppy was dead serious, the memories of their first time faking injuries was a painful one. Bad apologized for several days and sometimes would still occasionally apologize if the memory resurfaced.

“Sorry Skeppy,” Bad said before swinging the pistol quickly, it made a loud thud at contact followed by a softer one when Bad caught Skeppy before he could hit the ground. He hauled Skeppy on to his shoulder before laying him across the rear of his horse.

Bad made sure he was secure before turning to throw their coffee pot over the small flames to smother it. He made sure the camp would be fine for a few days gone and then climbed into his saddle.

It would be a slow ride back to town with Skeppy on his horse.

* * *

“Who’s that Bad?” George stood from his desk; he was surprised to see Bad so soon again. What was more surprising was that he was carrying a tied-up person. Bad walked over to the cells, gesturing for George to follow him with his free hand.

“This was the thief from a fortnight ago who I chased but couldn’t catch. You know, the incident that got me my badge.” Bad waited for George to open a cell, after a few clicks George pulled one open. Bad dropped Skeppy on the cot against the wall, an empty cell that was directly across from the one harboring Harvey. Harvey watched silently before resuming his napping, faking disinterest in his new neighbor.

Once George had secured the cell again, the pair walked over to his desk. Bad pulled his wanted poster from his jacket handing it to George.

“Oh! This is fantastic, I was worried I would have to accompany Ant out of town and no offense, but the people here don’t know you,” Bad raised his hands slightly in acknowledgement, no offense taken.

“Here,” George offered Bad a map, there was a marked trail to the neighboring town,” That’s your route, to and back should be no more than 5 hours,” Bad groaned but took the map and studied it briefly before storing it in his pocket.

“Rough luck but that’s the law,” George snorted at Bad’s discontent, “That town wants to hang Mr. TapL at noon, so you'll have to leave at 5 in the morning Friday."

Bad almost regretted agreeing to this plan, he would have to power through with coffee. He glanced back at the cells when he heard some noise. It appeared that Skeppy has woken up and by the looks of it with a brutal headache. Bad cringed at Skeppy's expression, turning to face George again.

“Well, I’m gonna go try and located Ant. You,” George reached into his desk, pulling out a form, “fill this out, it’s just so we can start organizing and tracking arrest and warrants.”

Bad groaned again, taking the paper almost aggressively. George stood up and patted Bad on the back.

“You’re telling me, man. It’s ridiculously how far the government is stretching. Stacks of paperwork and federal agents trying to control everything.” George sighed, offering Bad a sympathetic look before leaving.

Once the door was shut, Bad walked towards the windows to confirm George had truly left. Seeing George walking towards the Saloon he felt comfortable that he would be gone awhile. Bad approached the cells and pulled a chair so he could sit between them. This position let him see Harvey and Skeppy easily but left his back exposed if anybody would walk it.

“Okay,” Bad pulled out the map that had his route marked, “So details. Me and junior deputy Ant will be the escorts, the time of departure is five AM and we'll have a five hour window to execute our plan. Looking at the map there is a prime spot, uh... I’d guess about 2 hours into the ride.”

Bad analyzed the map for the key features that he would see, a way to gauge their time spent on the road. He also marked where he would leave a horse. The prime location was a valley entrance, it was a less used path into the valley that St. Anthony resided in due to it’s steep decline.

“Our route takes us west, we’re taking the mountain route because it’s quicker I assume. Right after we peak on the plateau and start the descend we’ll pass over a river that flows from Sky Lake.”

Memorizing enough of it he handed the map to Harvey, letting him get an idea of what they’ll see out there.

“About 30ish minuets after the river, there should be a slight path north of our route. I’ll flick my hat and that’s your signal.” When Harvey was content with his knowledge he passed the map back to Bad who passed it to Skeppy.

“I’ll move your horse to the bottom of the path tomorrow night since I won’t have time today to move him,” Bad took the map back and pocketed it, looking between the other two. They seemed content with the plan, not having any suggestions or complaints.

“All in agreement then?” Bad wanted to confirm they we’re all on the same page. Skeppy nodded and Harvey voiced his agreement.

“Alright, we’ll that’s everything then. I’ll talk to y’all after you escape.” Bad stood up and returned his chair, waving slightly and went to sit at his desk.

He looked down at his paperwork, a shootout would be better than filling all of this out.

* * *

It was the next day and Bad was doing as he promised.

“Okay, Rocco, you’ll be here for just a night.” Bad hitched Skeppy’s horse at the bottom of the path. He petted the horse softly, feeding it for the night. He placed a few lanterns on the ground to simulate a fire, it would ward any predators for the night.

Bad walked up the path, kicking at soft spots and moving large rocks. He wanted to make it safe as possible for their decline when they escape. The thought of them possible getting hurt fueled him to reach the top

Once he reached the top, he walked briefly around the area shining his torch around for any noticeable marks. He noticed a large broken branch in the shape of an upside-down Y resting against a rock on the opposite side of the path. Bad moved the branch to rest against a rock, it would be noticeable enough for him but subtle enough for Ant to miss it.

Bad admired his work, drinking some water before declining the path he had just taken. Bad took extra precaution, descending at night could kill him. After a tense and slow 15 minutes he reached the bottom.

He spared Rocco a glance and some more pets before mounting his horse and riding off. Bad wanted to get some sleep before tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


	8. Action!

“Get up!” Someone was yelling at them, but this wasn't what woke Skeppy up. It was the deafening sound of metal hitting metal. Skeppy looked up, he was still drowsy but he could see Ant was banging his revolver barrel along the cell bars. Harvey was slower to stir, but nonetheless the irritating sound of metal also drew him awake.

“Get your clothes on and gather any personal belongings you might still have, today is moving day!” Ant left them at that, leaving them to wake up while he finished gearing the prison carriage. Ant walked outside to see Bad inspecting the transfer cell, he appeared to be checking for any weak bars or planks. Walking to the front of the carriage where they would be sitting, Ant placed a small chest under the bench. It contained food, water and extra ammunition if needed. The small chest also offered a secure place for the bounty money they would be rewarded to rest.

It was something George had taught him about, it wasn’t honorable, but it paid for his life. George had showed him when they were on their own, pulling him aside before they reach town.

_“Is this legal?” Ant was slightly shaking, a feeling of dread resting in his stomach. He could feel his badge burning a hole in his jacket, but he wanted to impress George._

_“Yes, but it is frowned upon amongst lawmen. Just stay with the carriage and I’ll be back in an instant, you’ll be alright?” George wanted confirmation before he left, he trusted the boy to hold steady despite the obvious anxiety pouring from him._

_Ant nodded feverishly and climbed on the carriage, sitting on the bench. He watched as George pulled the prisoner behind him with rope. He kept watching until George disappeared into the town and then into the jailhouse._

_It was an anxious 15 minutes, Ant was fiddling with anything he could, mostly spinning his revolver, unloaded of course. He caught sight of a walking figure; it was George! No prisoner in sight as well._

_“See, no harm done,” George climbed on to the carriage bench and took control of the reigns. He turned the horses around and set them on a path. Once the horses were steadily moving George reached into his coat._

_“Here,” George gave Ant about a third of the bounty. He only felt the need to share to ease the boy. Ant counted the money; it was more than a few weeks of work! No wonder George did this, this type of payment was worth being looked down upon._

“Bad, can you load them up by yourself?” Ant looked up from where he was tending the horses. He had the keys in his spare hand waiting to see if he could toss them over.

“Yeah,” Bad climbed out of the carriage cell satisfied it was secure. Ant tossed the keys to him once he was out of the cell.

He could just barely see, soft rays of light sneaking their way inside. The jailhouse was casted in a blue haze as the sun started to make its appearance. Bad could see movement in the cells, the prisoners were slightly shuffling around.

“Ready?” Bad was close enough to see their faces, they looked exhausted. From their eyes alone it seemed that no one was actually awake. Their appearance was in shambles and hair ungroomed. Bad felt slightly guilty for laughing at them, but he’d never seen them so awful.

“Well, I’ll take that as a yes, you get two hours to rest before you actually have to wake up though,” He opened Skeppy’s cell first, drawing chains and a lock from his satchel. He gestured for Skeppy to hold his arms out. He secured the chains on him, giving them a firm tug. It was locked, Skeppy would have to pick it later, luckily the locked rested in a easy to reach location for his bound hands.

He led Skeppy outside, stopping briefly when Ant wanted to check the chains as well. He nodded his approval and stepped aside.

“Get in,” Bad ordered, pushing Skeppy towards the cart. He struggled to climb in with his hands bound and his body having just got the notice to wake up. Bad left Ant to watch over Skeppy, returning to repeat the routine with Harvey.

Locking the prison cell, Bad was leaving it up to them to get out. If they break all their picks it would force Bad to break his cover.

“Alright, let’s get this show on the road” Ant and Bad would switch hourly on who would drive the carriage and fortunately Bad had the second shift. Both lawmen got situated at the front bench, Ant motioning the horses into gear.

Bad decided to get some much-needed rest, he was up rather late last night.

“Wake me up when we switch,” Ant grunted his agreement, he would be on his own for an hour. He glanced behind him; the prisoners also seemed to want to rest as well. It was quite strange, usually those on death row would be more active and pleading.

The lack of fear made him deeply unsettled. Perhaps they had made peace with their God already.

* * *

Bad jolted awake, the rough shaking pulling him from his nap. He fumbled for his gun, stopping when Ant grabbed his arm. Bad relaxed as the events came back to him, pulling his arm away and sitting up.

“Sorry, my shift?” Bad asked, Ant confirmed it with a nod. Bad hopped off the carriage as soon as it was drawn to a standstill. Making his way around, he gestured to Ant to move to the seat he had previously been sitting in.

“Want a snack?” Bad pulled the chest from under the seat, dragging it loudly towards him. He pulled out some jerky for the pair of them, handing it off quickly. He carelessly closed the chest and returned it just as loudly to its place under the bench.

Clambering up onto the bench, he spared a glance into the cell. His eyes managed to catch some movement; he’d waken them up. Hopefully, they we’re smart enough to stay wake, if they missed the quiet signal he’d have to risk a louder one.

Bad started to get the horses moving again, getting to the speed Ant had been at. He sat quietly and ate his jerky waiting for Ant to finish his. His prayers were answered when Ant leaned back and covered his eyes, he was going to take a nap.

The route was quiet, passing by only one traveler for two hours. It was possibly the best scenario for their situation. Bad felt comfortable that Ant was asleep, looking back into the prison cell.

Both of them we’re awake and Skeppy already had his pick in hand. He looked like he was eager to start unlocking them, fiddling with his pick and the lock. Bad gave him a cold glare, discouraging him nonverbally to stop. This was supported when Harvey punched him in the shoulder.

After about 10 minutes of straining his eyes Bad could see up ahead a small upside Y. He guessed it would be a few more minutes until they we’re lined up with the path. They’d need a minute or 2 to quietly get their cuffs off and once that was done only a few seconds to hopefully get the gate open. At that point they’d be to loud to try and sneak off and would have to move as fast as possible.

Bad flicked his hat. It was go time.

Harvey saw the subtle hat flicked and stood up quietly. He balanced in the moving carriage as he tried to spot the path they would need to take. While he looked through his side of the bars he could hear Skeppy's chain shuffle now and again. He strained hard against the bars making out a slight decline a bit ahead, based on the beaten grass there he assumed that would be their escape route.

Sitting down, he reached into his left sleeve, pulling on a loose string there and grasping a lockpick that fell into his hand. Harvey fumbled with his lock, cringing at the loud scraping, and shuffling of chains. Was it always this loud?

Chains off, he laid them down gently to avoid hitting his own on Skeppy's discarded chains. Sparing a glance outside the bars again, the path was about 30 seconds away. Although a seasoned outlaw, he couldn’t help the natural anxiety starting to blossom within him. 10 seconds away.

“HEY!” Bad barked, he pulled the reigns sharply bring the cart to a full stop about a few feet in front of the path. He violently shook Ant, who spurred awake immediately, hat falling between the horses. The click of the gate opening spurred him to investigate the cell, the gate swung violently as the prisoner rushed out and towards the path.

“They’re chains are gone! Get up now!” Bad was shouting, already off the bench and quickly rushing around the cart to follow. Ant caught up quickly to Bad, they were at the top of the path looking down. It was a scary decline, Bad was surprised he didn’t fall to his death last night.

“Move!” Bad rushed past Ant and started the descent, he shuffled down the slope as fast as he could. Ant was slower to start the descent, fear almost crippling him.

Harvey and Skeppy we’re halfway down the slope, having near slips here and there. They managed to maintain their balance despite the tricky terrain. Near the bottom, Skeppy slipped and started to slide down the rest of the path.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” Skeppy tried to catch himself with his feet, kicking for any purchase. It was futile, he slid all the way down. He crashed into the side of the canyon opposite of the path. Traveling north east from here would open the canyon into a grand valley.

“Get over here!” Harvey called to Skeppy, unhitching the horse and climbing up to mount him.

Bad slipped a little bit lower than where Skeppy fell, instead of falling forward like his partner did, he fell backwards into Ant. They struggled to untangle themselves, going as fast as possible while preventing any slips.

Skeppy shook off the pain, pushing himself to his feet and reaching for Harvey’s hand. Harvey had ridden to be next to Skeppy, pulling the other onto the horse. He pushed the horse into overdrive, riding fast through the canyon.

“Fuck!” Ant reached the bottom and drew his revolver. He ran onto the path, getting a better view of the two runaways. Ant started to aim but Bad knocked the gun out of his hand.

“What the fuck!?” Ant was fuming, first at the escape and now at his partner. Bad tried to not look threatening, he needed Ant to calm down.

“One of them isn’t wanted dead,” Bad reminded him, it didn’t do much but make him kick dirt.

“Now he is,” Ant started towards the path, stopping to face Bad again, “How’d you not hear ‘em? You fucking deaf or something?” Ant was taking out his anger on Bad. He marched up to Bad, getting in his face. Ant demanded answers, it wouldn’t sate his anger or bloodlust, but he wanted to know more.

“I don’t know, I didn’t hear anything besides the usual noises,” Bad answered, Ant scoffed, turning towards the path, “This was planned," He gestured around them," the horse, the lanterns. I’ll fucking figure this out.”

“Dream shouldn’t have given you a badge, you don’t know what you’re doing.” Bad almost signed in relief, he wasn’t a suspect yet. He kept his head down and noticed Ant’s revolver. He picked it up and handed it over.

Ant took it roughly, placing it back in his holster. He looked back again to where the prisoners had last been seen. Sighing deeply through his nose he turned around and started up the path again.

Bad followed immediately after him, doing this climb twice in less than 12 hours was grueling but he had an act to maintain. Ant locked the empty cell cage, picked up his beat-up hat and sat where he was previously.

“You’re driving the whole way back, wake me when we get there,” Ant didn’t wait for any confirmation, dusting his hat off and covering his face again. Ant was resolved to ignore the newest deputy for the rest of the week.

* * *

Bad practically fell from his saddle when he finally made it back to camp. He’s been up for roughly sixteen hours with barely four hours of sleep to fuel him. This type of exhaustion would take days before it cleared away.

“Bad!” Harvey was the first to greet him, clapping him on the back as he passed by. Harvey took the reigns of Bad’s horse from him, hitching his horse for him. Bad mumbled out a thanks before heading to the campfire where Skeppy was sitting.

Skeppy passed Bad a cup of coffee, who downed it in one go and asked for another cup. Bad was sure that despite the two cups of coffee he was about to consume he’d still pass out later. Once he had his second cup in his hands, he nursed this one unlike the first cup. After Harvey got the horse brushed and fed he returned to the campfire. The trio sat in silence for a few minutes, it was comforting. There wasn’t much that needed to be said between them.

“I’m leaving in a few days, I don’t know if you saw but I found a horse on the way back,” Harvey gestured to the now three horses hitched at a nearby post. Bad was familiar with the word "found", a word frequently used by Skeppy and himself, so judging wasn’t allowed.

“It was really good to see both of you,” Harvey beamed at them, “The others miss y’all.” The duo across him looked confused at this.

“Oh, yeah I never got the chance to tell you. Over the years, we all managed to find each other again. We’re reestablish the Idots gang, it’s gonna be further west than last time. We think we can do it this time, establish a town for ourselves.” Harvey grew hopeful, fantasizing about the future where he could live far from the law. Secure with those he loved, it looked impossible for years, but the pieces seemed to fall into place recently.

Harvey picked up his jacket that was resting beside him, he pulled out his wanted poster again. He unfolded it and turned it so the others could look at the writing.

“$130, I have money stored northeast, so it’ll take a few weeks to travel down here. It’ll be under Bad’s name of course,” Harvey would uphold their pact, a pact made almost 5 years ago. It was made when their gang ended, everyone having to travel separate ways. It offered a simple method of helping each other when and if they ever saw each other. It was easy to understand: If someone were arrested or in trouble, they would promise to match the bounty on their head in exchange for help.

Harvey knew they would’ve helped regardless of the pact but upholding the pact would keep them tied together. He didn’t want to grow too distant from them, losing friends was a hard thing to endure.

“You’ll always have a space with us if you want it,” Harvey left the offer in the air, not wanting to force them into anything. Harvey picked up his jacket while he stood up, his poster occupying his other hand. He tossed it into the fire before heading to his tent, it was a spare that Skeppy and him set up earlier.

Bad and Skeppy sat in silence, the possibility of reuniting with the others weighed heavily on them. Being in large groups could be dangerous but they missed their friends dearly. There was also the fact that the two of them almost had enough money to get themselves situated alone. Perhaps that money had a different cause now.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Twitter! So don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas, suggestions, or just to message.  
> @ReValRecon  
> Kudos appreciated :)


End file.
